Courses and Syllabi

Geography Courses

GEOG 121 World Regional Geography. (3) An introduction to basic geographical concepts used by geographers in examining the fundamental contrasts between various countries of the world. Analysis of regions of the world, western and non-western, with respect to physical, cultural (both majority and minority), political and economic orientation.

GEOG 200 Digital Earth. (3) An introductory course that will provide students with an overview of existing and emerging geospatial technologies and their increasing role in shaping our daily lives and the ways in which we interact with the environment and with each other. Students will be introduced to geospatial technologies including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), mainstream Internet mapping applications such as Google Maps and Google Earth, and location-driven social media.

GEOG 201 Introduction to Physical Geography. (4) The spatial significance of land forms, water bodies and soils. Emphasis is placed on both the man-land relationship and the concept of location. Three lectures and one two-hour laboratory per week.

GEOG 202 Introduction to Weather and Climate. (4) The interrelationship of weather elements and controls and the spatial distributions of climate and vegetation. Three lectures and one two-hour laboratory a week.

GEOG 310 Digital Cartography. (3) (Prereq: GEOG 200 or GEOG 204, or permission of the instructor) An introductory course that will provide students with an overview of maps, mapmaking (cartography), and the tools and techniques of digital cartography. Students will be introduced to geospatial technologies utilized in cartography, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and hands-on exercises, students will explore the design and production of digital maps and cartographic visualizations, and develop an understanding of the ethical and social issues involved in the mapmaking process.

GEOG 311 Earth Observation. (3) (Prereq: GEOG 200 or permission of the instructor) An introductory course that will provide students with an overview of earth observation through remote sensing. Students will be introduced to basic concepts such as the origin of remote sensing and earth observation programs, as well as remote sensing technologies such as aerial and satellite imaging systems and related geospatial technologies such as GIS that are utilized in processing, analyzing and presenting data gathering from earth observation sensors. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and hands-on exercises, students will explore the remotes sensing process and how it is used for earth observation, types of remotely-sensed data, analysis methods, and applications of earth observation techniques.

GEOG 399 Independent Study. (1-6) (Prereq: Written contract between student and instructor) May be repeated for credit under different topics.

GEOG 400 Geospatial Intelligence. (3) (Prereq: GEOG 200 or permission of the instructor) This course provides students with an introduction to existing and emerging geospatial technologies and their application across a wide range of disciplines dealing with intelligence, security, and decision making. Students will explore the geospatial technologies utilized in intelligence analysis, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and 3D visualization, develop hands-on skills in digital mapping and explore applications of geospatial intelligence in a number of fields, including defense intelligence, law enforcement, and emergency management.

GEOG 424 Geography of North America. (3) Physical and cultural geography of North America with emphasis on the United States.

GEOG 426 Geography of Latin America. (3) Physical, cultural, and economic geography of Latin America. GEOG 491 Special Topics in Geography/GIS. (3) (Prereq: GEOG 121 or GEOG 200, AND permission of the instructor) An advanced course that will allow students who have already completed introductory courses in GIS and Geography to explore focused applications and research problems within the field. Topics can range from geography areas of interest such as urban geography or historical geography to specialized areas of inquiry in geospatial technologies, including urban planning, disaster management, historical GIS, 3D geovisualization, etc. Students will explore each topic in depth through a combination of lectures, discussions, readings, and hands-on projects or research papers. The course may be repeated for up to six (6) hours of credit under different topics.